The present invention relates to golf clubs, and more particularly, to a golf putter having a club head which has an adjustable lie structure.
Adjustable golf clubs, including putters, have been known in the patent art. However, in order to conform with the rules of golf as defined by the United States Golf Association (U.S.G.A.), a golf club may not be adjustable during the playing of a round of golf. Many of the prior art devices permit adjustability at any time, and therefore, while they may be used in friendly rounds of golf or for practice, these clubs are not available for competitions sanctioned under the rules of the U.S.G.A.
Prior art adjustable putters are shown in the following patents: Hartford U.S. Pat. No. 1,331,499, Olson U.S. Pat. No. 1,352,020, Allen U.S. Pat. No. 1,486,823, Barnes U.S. Pat. No. 1,535,707, Melanson et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,244,205, Stubbs et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,390,919 and Great Britian (9169-1908) among others.
It will be appreciated that an adjustable golf Club is able to be used by a wider variety of players. This particularly applies to putters, since there is no recommended standard for the stance and stroke of a putt.
The present invention is directed to a golf putter having a club head member which may be adjusted so that the lie angle with respect to the shaft is moveable to accommodate a wide variety of golfers and individual golf strokes. The club is particularly unique in that once an adjustable position is found, a locking set screw may be tightened to secure the putter in a rigid, fixed position, thereby allowing it to be used in competitions sanctioned by the U.S.G.A. To achieve the adjustable feature, the hosel includes an elongated, flat flange which fits into a slot; machined, cast or otherwise formed in the top surface of the putter head. The end of the hosel flange includes a hole through which a flange pin is inserted, thereby pivotably connecting the hosel flange to the club head body. A series of set screw indentations is positioned on the hosel flange above the flange pin and cooperates with a locking set screw secured to the back surface of the putter head through a threaded opening. Preferably, the size and structure of the slot and flange will permit the lie angle to be adjusted within a range of 15.degree.-20.degree..
Once a precise lie angle is obtained, the locking set screw is tightened and the end of the screw engages one of the said screw depressions to firmly lock the hosel flange in the preselected position. Subsequent adjustments may be made by simply loosening the locking set screw and pivoting the shaft on the shaft pin.
Among the objects of the present invention are the provision of a golf putter which may be adjusted to a variety of angular lie positions.
Another object of the present invention is the provision of an adjustable putter wherein the adjustments may be locked in place so as to be nonmoveable during the playing of a round of golf.
A still further object of the present invention is the provision of an adjustable putter which is equally applicable to a wide variety of shapes of golf putter heads with no limitations as to size or form thereof.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent with reference to the following detailed description of the invention and claims, and to the accompanying drawings.